"Ready to fight": HMS Prince of Wales will react to China over Taiwan dispute, defence secretary said
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British armed forces are ready to fight in the Indo-Pacific if necessary should China escalate tensions with Taiwan, the defence secretary has said.
John Healey MP intimated that the Royal Navy and UK personnel are prepared to handle anything in the Indo-Pacific region. HMS Prince of Wales is currently heading up the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) on Operation Highmast, and will be heading to Japan soon for port visits and military drills.
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When asked about what the UK will do if China continues to act against Taiwan and other nations, the Labour politician told the Daily Telegraph: “If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.”
Mr Healey added that he was speaking in “general terms”, and said the UK would prefer to see disputes in the region resolved “peacefully” and “diplomatically”. He proceeded to push the importance of working alongside fellow countries such as Australia, with both AUKUS nations signing a new nuclear submarine jobs deal. “We secure peace through strength, and our strength comes from our allies,” he said.
Is China likely to invade Taiwan and is the Royal Navy likely to respond?
Beijing has always considered Taiwan as part of the One China policy - a political doctrine held by the president Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. They believe there is only one de jure - translates to “by law” in Latin - nation of China, and Taiwan falls under this. The political status of Taiwan is considered contentious, with many believing it has its own independence and identity.
According to a report in the House of Commons Library, the UK does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state or have formal diplomatic ties with Taipei City. Despite this, the UK does hold strong unofficial diplomatic ties with them and maintains a presence on the island through British Office Taipei.
The report said the dispute between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China should be resolved “through dialogue, in line with the views of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait”. Royal Navy warships have already conducted patrols in the Taiwan Strait. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer previously called for more patrols in the Indo-Pacific region to combat China’s sphere of influence.
HMS Spey, a River-class offshore patrol ship used to maintain a permanent Royal Navy presence in the region, sailed through the area June 18 despite warnings from Beijing. British Office Taipei previously said this was in accordance with international law and supported the right to freedom of navigation.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The British side once again defended the freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait with concrete actions and demonstrated its firm position that the Taiwan Strait is international waters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes and affirms this. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages like-minded countries such as the United Kingdom to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and maintain a rules-based international order.”
In response, China’s ambassador to the UK said: “I would like to remind the UK side that China’s rights and interests in the South China Sea have been established in the long course of history and have solid and legal basis. The UK’s picking on China by making an issue of the ‘award’ of the South China Sea arbitration, which is illegal, null and void, will not shake China’s firm resolve and staunch will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”